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(Hanover, 21st September 2016) At the press conference during IAA Commercial Vehicles 2016 in Hanover, Solaris unveiled further vehicles of their new-generation. The hybrid version of the new Urbino, and the new Urbino powered with CNG will be exhibited at manufacturer’s stand during the IAA. The third bus displayed will be the new Solaris Urbino electric. The vehicle was named best city bus of 2017 and handed The Bus of the Year award during the press conference. The new generation cutting-edge battery-buses had its premiere at Busworld exhibition in Kortrijk in 2015, and have already been ordered by operators from Hanover, Hamburg and Tampere. IAA visitors will have an opportunity to experience the advantages of Solaris electric buses during the test rides on one of three new Urbino electric running in regular passenger service in Hanover.
New Solaris Urbino 12 Hybrid
On display during the IAA fair, the hybrid novelty fresh off Solaris’ gate is equipped with a serial hybrid drive by U.S. producer BAE Systems – the HybriDrive.This technology is based on an electric engine fuelled with power from a power storage facility. This, in turn is charged with the help of a generator using a low-capacity Cummins diesel engine (a 210 HP Cummins ISB4.5E6). This environmental-friendly, partially electric drive allows to significantly reduce fuel consumption and pollutant emission into the atmosphere.
The new hybrid Urbino 12 Solaris offers also the possibility to install a Start/Stop system, which allows to completely turn off the diesel engine during stopovers and which allows to leave it in zero-emission mode. Furthermore customers can opt for an Arrive-and-Go system which additionally turns off the diesel engine when the bus is approaching a stop. Thanks to those solutions the hybrid bus of Solaris resembles an electric bus in functionality and according to various tests it is able to save up to 20 percent of the fuel needed by similar vehicles with a conventional drive. And to top it off, the engine is so quiet that the noise level can be reduced significantly, which comes in handy in particular in overcrowded city centres.
The new Urbino 12 Hybrid boasts exceptional drive parameters, but what makes it stand out is the forceful, though smooth acceleration. One of the main features of the drive is that it recuperates kinetic energy during braking and then this energy is transformed and stored as electric power in a storage facility placed on the roof of the bus. The vehicle presented during the IAA is equipped with 11.6 kWh batteries. Soon two more energy-storing options will be on offer: 0.82 kWh super-condensers and 31.8 kWh lithium-ion batteries.
The way the hybrid system elements are distributed (in the engine tower and on the roof of the vehicle) does not affect the number of passenger seats in the bus. The offered seat layouts in the new Solaris hybrid are the same as in the Urbino 12 with a conventional Cummins engine.
The new Solaris Urbino 12 CNG
The first edition of the 12-metre Urbino CNG uses the advantages of the new-generation Solaris, such as its light frame and state-of-the-art driveline, as well as the commodious and comfortable passenger space.
The drive unit of the new Urbino 12 CNG is a Cummins ISLG engine producing 320 horsepower and meeting the Euro6 norm, and in the presented vehicle it is coupled with a VOITH Diwa6 gearbox. What is new about this model is the installation of a CNG cylinder. Five composite tanks are fitted alongside rather than crosswise on the roof, as had been the case in the former Urbino version. The new gas tank construction technology allows to reduce the weight by up to 80 kilograms depending on the configuration. What is more, thanks to locating it alongside the bus, it was possible to reduce the number of cylinder valves. The model presented at the fair boasts gas tanks of a volume of 1575 l. The producer offers also bigger cylinders, containing 1875 litres, or smaller, 1260-litre ones. Thanks to this option the bus can be tailor-made to the needs of carriers.
The new gas-fuelled Solaris of the new generation has a gas filler valve in the same spot as the diesel engine counterpart has its filling unit. That is why neither the seat layout, nor the interior of the gas-fuelled bus, nor even the layout of the driver’s compartment have been changed compared to diesel buses. Just like in other models of the new generation Solaris, the gas bus stands out thanks to its spacious and bright interior, where modern solutions already known from other Solaris vehicles have been used, such as LED lighting, efficient air-conditioning or USB chargers, which make the journey by this bus extremely comfortable. The bus contains 33 seats, 16 of which are accessible from the low floor.
Bus of the Year 2017 – the new Solaris Urbino 12 electric
The battery-powered Solaris Urbino which has been named best city bus of the year 2017 is also presented in Hanover. The innovative electric bus had its world premiere at Busworld exhibition in 2015. The vehicle presented at IAA 2016 is equipped with Solaris high energy batteries which deliver 240 kWh and comply with the most rigorous safety standards. The set has been divided into six separate packs of 40 kWh each. 160 kWh are located at the rear of the vehicle, while the rest is mounted on the roof, over the first axle. The new Urbino 12 electric has been fitted with an innovative pantograph charging system. 450 kW power allows for a quick recharge of the batteries on route. A traditional plug-in connection has also been provided and can be used for overnight charging at the depot.
Emission-free and clean, the electric bus in Solaris’s new design constitutes the most innovative item in the Solaris portfolio. The benefits of the new Solaris construction such as light and rigid bodyframe, skin-on-skin panels assembly as well as ergonomic, spacious interior in combination with an exquisitely quiet and clean motor result in this extraordinary vehicle.
The new 12-metre Urbino electric is fitted with the electric drive axle with axle-mounted motors, 125 kW maximum power each. This concept frees up space for passengers and significantly reduces the weight of the vehicle. Thanks to the high-class electric equipment and the electric axle the drive is exceptionally quiet, smooth and devoid of vibrations. This is exactly why Solaris’s battery-powered bus is a perfect solution in the modern city environment, providing a positive travel experience even with large numbers of standing passengers on board.
It has to be stressed at this point that all models of the ever-expanding new Urbino family are based on the same construction, and use the standardised components and systems are arranged in a similar manner in the bus. The manufacturer has applied identical side panels in each model, and also the roof panels are the same, even though differing equipment is installed on the roofs of the vehicles. The standardisation of the new Urbino series guarantees a faster and cheaper maintenance of vehicles, provided the carrier’s fleet consists of various types of vehicles of the Polish manufacturer.
Further premieres
The portfolio of the new-generation Solaris buses includes the so-far most popular models: the 12-meter and the 18-meter diesel engine buses, as well as the standard-length electric bus and the low-entry Urbino 12 LE. The premieres will be shown in a few weeks on various European exhibitions. Soon, we may also expect the gas-fuelled Urbino 18 CNG and the electric Urbino 18 to be presented. The Polish manufacturer has been gradually replacing the third-generation buses with the new Urbinos since 2014, when the world premiere of the first buses from the newly-designed family took place.
Solaris – 20 years of the journey together
2016 is an exceptional year for Solaris on account of its 20th anniversary. This year’s trade fairs will be a perfect opportunity to celebrate the two decades of Solaris’ impressive history.